Ob La Di, Ob La Da, Brother
by Eratosthenese
Summary: Why hasn't a Muggle ever wandered onto Hogwarts territory?...............until now...
1. like no other day

By Eratosthenese

Some days, you get up and you just know that it's not going to be like most days. Then, other days you wake up and you know that absolutely _nothing_ interesting or out of the ordinary was going to happen.

This was one of the mornings in the life of James Potter.

His fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had ended last night and it was like the end of every single other year.

He sat at the Gryffindor table alongside his best friend, Sirius Black, and across from his two other best friends, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Dumbledore gave his usual end of the year speech announcing that Ravenclaw had won the House Cup, Ravenclaw cheered, everyone ate and went back to bed, all packed and ready for summer at home, when they could peacefully dread the arrival of their O.W.L. results.

Nothing interesting. Not until next year.

And as usual, he was right.

James Potter was always right.

But this time, he was off. Not only would nothing interesting happen to him for a year, but for 22 years.

* * *

The Hogwarts Express pulled into Platform 9 and ¾ at King's Cross Station. Hogwarts students were piling out of the train by the dozens.

The four friends were some of the last people off the train. Sirius was not looking forward to going back home. He hated his family. They were all Slytherins, and had ideas in their heads that only purebloods should be allowed.

James looked sadly at Sirius, as if wishing he could do something to help. "Well, running away is always an option…" he said unsurely.

"Where would I go?" he said gloomily.

James ran his hand through his hair. "Well, my parents like you. I'm sure they wouldn't mind letting you stay with us, if you needed to."

"Look, Padfoot," said Remus reassuringly. "Everything's going to be fine. You stay the same person you've always been, and if they can't take it, we will."

Sirius let a smile slip by him. Without another word, he, James, Remus and Peter got off the train, pulling along their trunks and pets.

After having said their "adieu's", James was the only one still on the platform. He took a deep breath, sad to see Hogwarts left behind for nearly three months. Sad to see Lily Evans, the girl of his fancy, leave his life for the summer. He wouldn't see Hogwarts' towering stature or Lily's brilliant green eyes for one entire fourth of the year.

His thoughts were taking him mindlessly towards the apparently solid barrier that would take him back to the Muggle station. He got in the back of the short line for entry, and it was soon his time to pass through it.

Waiting the same, boring, familiar sensation of passing through the doorway, he was surprised to find that instead of falling sideways into an almost separate dimension, he fell down.

Down.

There was no longer any floor holding him up.

James opened his mouth to shout, but his head was knocked against one of the brick walls that enclosed him as he fell, and all went black.


	2. 22 years, and still young

"He looks just like you, Harry," said a girl's voice from his right.

"Not like me. Like…" said a boy's voice from his left.

"Bloody hell, Harry. He looks just like…" said another's boy's voice from the same direction.

"My dad."

James opened his eyes. He looked at the three people staring down at him, his eyebrows scrunched together. Everything was blurry. He reached up to touch his face and felt that his glasses had been taken off.

"Glasses…" he groaned, sitting up. His head screamed and he quietly lay back down. The only girl of the three handed James his round, black glasses and he put them on. After blinking a few times, James' attention turned to one of the boys. He had black hair, messy and ruffled like his. A pointed chin like his, glasses like his, everything was identical to James.

Except for his eyes.

His eyes were very familiar, but James couldn't quite put a name to them.

"Are you alright?" said the other boy. This one had red hair and freckles.

"Where am I?" asked James. He looked around the room. It looked …

"You're at Hogwarts," said the girl.

"But the year's over. Why am I here? What year are you in?"

"It's Winter Break. School isn't over yet. We're in fifth."

James sat up so hard that the three people backed up. "It's not Winter Break. I just got off the Hogwarts Express. I was going home. Sirius was all bummed about—"

"Wait!" said the black-haired boy. "Sirius? Sirius Black?"

"Yeah," said James slowly. "How many guys at Hogwarts are named Sirius?"

"You- you're not … James _Potter_ are you?"

"Yeah. Hey, do I know you guys?"

The girl and red-headed boy looked at the other one worriedly.

"I- I'm Harry…" said the boy with the black hair.

After a silent and awkward pause, the other too hurriedly introduced themselves.

"I'm Ron. Ron Weasley," said the other boy.

"Hermione Granger," said the girl.

They both held out their hands and James looked at the two hands, wondering what to do next. He looked scared. "Uh…" he said. "How do you know my name … Harry?"

Harry looked as if he had just inhaled a watermelon. His nose was red and his eyes were fluttering from what looked like shock.

"You- James …h…" he managed.


	3. dad

THANK YOU TO MOONY: THE MISTAKE YOU POINTED OUT HAS BEEN DULLY NOTED AND CORRECTED.

"James Potter is sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room at this moment?" said Dumbledore calmly, trying to understand the frantic trio. "And please," he added hurriedly, holding up one of his hands. "One at a time."

Ron spoke. "Well, you see… we were sitting by the fire and Hermione was helping us with our homework… and when I say helping, I actually _mean_ helping, as in like, telling you which bloody page the bloody answer's on—"

Harry cut him off. "He fell from the roof right after we came in after dinner. He has no idea where he is, when he is or how he got here."

"Curious…" said Dumbledore, putting the tips of his fingers together and looking distant as only he could. He smiled happily, a gleam in his eyes beneath his half moon spectacles.

"What?" said Harry.

"I don't know how he got here."

"How does that make you smile!" screamed Harry. Ron and Hermione both looked taken aback, but Dumbledore just kept smiling.

"I've always wanted to find something explainable that I couldn't explain." He looked over his glasses at Harry. "It may sound conceited, but it's a heavy weight to know everything." His smile grew. "Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Ms Granger, I assure you I will do all in my power to find out what brought Mr Potter Senior upon us. But there _are_ still more pressing matters and they will continue to be my main source of focus. However, until we can find a reason and solution for these recently occurring events, I suggest you make him feel as welcome as possible." Dumbledore nodded a dismissal at the three, and Ron and Harry turned to go, but Hermione stayed put.

"Professor," she said, catching the boys' attention.

"Yes?"

"Will he attend classes?"

"I indeed believe he will not find the need."

"But, Professor?"

"Yes, Ms Granger."

"What can we tell him?"

Dumbledore frowned slightly. "The truth, I think, ought to do the trick." He winked.

* * *

"I'm… _you're_ father, but you haven't been… made yet in… _my_ time, right?"

Harry nodded.

James looked a little pale. "But… if you're still here, then that means that I _have_ to get sent back, right? 'Cause or else, _you_ wouldn't _exist_."

Harry thought for a second.

"Yeah, that sounds right."

James paused, then smiled widely. "This is awesome!" he shouted.

"What?"

"Come on! I get to meet myself when I'm older! I mean, how many people get to meet themselves when they're older?" he said, with a smile Harry knew oh-so well.

"Actually," said Harry, "you're not really allowed to meet yourself in the future."

"But if this was my current self's past, I already know both ways that there's two of me at this time, right?"

After deciphering James' logic, Harry found this hard to argue against. "Wizards who mess with time can… get messed up," he said simply. "Just ask Hermione."

"Why? What happened to her?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing, it's just she knows everything. She had a time turner third year."

"Why?"

"It's… Hermione," said Harry, unable to explain. "Long story. Don't ask."

James nodded.

Harry smiled sadly. "I imagine you don't want me to call you 'Dad'?"

James smiled back sheepishly. "Well, it would be a bit awkward, I gotta admit. But… you have another me to call 'Dad'."

Harry nodded. He laughed as if only doing so to hold back tears. "Right. Always my actual dad."

James slapped him on his back.

"I'm gonna go for a walk outside. Too bad the rest of the gang isn't here, we could give Filch some trouble." He laughed and walked out of the common room and out of Harry's sight.

He didn't know why, but tears just wouldn't hold back. They came pouring out of his face, burning his throat.

No, he thought to himself. _It's still Dad, and I'm going to make this the… best time of my life. Dad is here. He's my dad._


	4. no last name

**padfoot/nbkwriter**: i'm glad you're ... ahem ... _enjoying_ it. The Sirius Hermione thing would be a bit weird though. Maybe in a different fic, you could write it, cuz prongs already has this plot all lined out and all... heh heh...

**pentagonmerlin**: i dunno what i meant... too tired... too lazy... heh heh. but as long as either was is ok, don't make mush dif, yes?

**HermyGWeasley**: Sorry it took so long to update. Hope you're still mildly interested in the story, though... heh heh.

Please R&R, you've no idea how good it feels when i read what you guys say to me!

The grounds of Hogwarts hadn't changed to James. Hagrid's hut was still exactly where it had always been, and the forest still loomed mysteriously before him as he walked mindlessly towards it.

James closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh, magical air, when he ran into something that did not _feel_ like the rest of the air. He opened his eyes and stared at her, somewhat flabbergasted.

She was beautiful. Her shirt was yellow with scarlet ribbons attaching the sides together, and it had a big red "W" on the front. Her jeans had safety pins all down one side, and graffiti all down the other. Her hair was pulled back and arranged in a fashion that gave her the appearance of rays of light springing up all around her head, almost like a halo, creating a nimbus. Her left hand was gripping a very small yellow suitcase.

"Oh—" they both said. "Sorry," they said again, laughing. "No, no, it was me—" they chimed.

After a shy laugh, James held out his hand and asked her, her name.

"Iliana," she said.

"No last name?"

"No… not really," she said, still smiling.

James looked at her questioningly. "No last name…"

"My parents were killed when I was less than a year old. I grew up in a series of orphanages, but none of them could find out where I came from."

Taking into account that he was in the future, James took a shot and guessed out loud, "Voldemort?"

"Who?"

Damn. "No one," he said. "Just—" He coughed. "Something in my throat." He coughed again.

She smiled and James and Iliana stood in front of each other uncomfortably.

"Well, you know what they say. Hakuna matatta. _Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da_, right?" she said trying to break the silence.

"What?"

"You know." She started singing a tune that was unfamiliar to James. "Desmond owns a barrow in the market place, Molly is the singer in a band…" She paused, unsure and waiting, as if he would be hit with a sudden knowledge of what she was talking about. "The Beatles!"

"Oh! … What do beetles have to do with this?"

"No, _the_ Beatles. Beetles with an 'a'."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You haven't heard of the Beatles. Where _did_ you grow up?"

James paused, as if scared to respond with the wrong answer. "England?" he said.

She stared at him, as if he had just told her that he had planted carrots in his hair.

"Look," she said, shaking it off. "Let's start over. My name is Iliana." She held out her hand.

"James," he said, somewhat relieved that the topic had been changed from something about which he didn't know the answer.

She looked at the castle behind him. "So … what are you doing hanging around a place like this?"

"I … go to school here," he said, as if talking to a stupid person. "Don't you?" And then it hit him. "Oh—shit …" But it had already been done.

"You go to school in a haunted house?"

"Uh … uh … uh …" stuttered James stupidly.

Iliana looked at him expectantly.

"No?" he said.

"What?"

"Well … uh … what are … _you_ doing … here?"

Iliana had a blank look on her face. "What the hell … you … you _freak_," she said, backing away.

"What? No! Look, you need to … actually, I have no convincing evidence against that …"

Iliana looked at him, trying to understand him, see through him. But he was as easy to read as a closed book. "What the hell!"

James was all of a sudden overcome with immense curiosity. "What … what do you see when you look at that castle?"

"_Castle_?"

"Uh … house?"

Iliana laughed, scared. "You're— you're kidding, right?"

James smiled slyly. "Does—magic exist?"

"What are you? Some kind of … of philosopher? Or … or some kind of, you know … some kind of … OK, what are you?"

"Come with me, Iliana. We have some talking to do."


	5. muggle

James was too busy laughing in front of the fire with Ron to notice a fuming Hermione burst through the Gryffindor Entrance.

She stormed right up to James and pinched his ear, pulling him to face her as he recoiled in pain. When he finally broke free, he looked at Hermione, clutching his ear.

"What the hell was that f—" he started, but got cut off when Hermione slapped him.

"Have you gone mad? Have you _actually_, _literally_ gone _mad_?"

"No?" he said shyly. Hermione glared and James threw up his hands in confusion. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"She. Is. A. _Muggle_!"

"Iliana?"

"_No_," said Hermione sarcastically. "The _other_ Muggle you brought in the castle."

"It's not _my_ fault!" shouted James. "She would have come in anyway. This way … I just … kept her … uh—_under_ control. Made sure no Slytherins got to her or anything."

"Why couldn't you have taken her _away_? Stunned her and fetched a superior? What—_what_ was _going_ through _your_ mind when you brought her in here?"

James looked off in the distance. "I dunno—she's _hot_?"

Hermione slapped him again.

This was enough for James. It was all Ron could do to hold him back from hitting Hermione. She, however, remained unmoved.

"Does Dumbledore know?" she said calmly through gritted teeth.

James stopped struggling against Ron. "Uh … you think I should have told him, then, do you?" he said cautiously.

At this, Hermione lost it. Her hair started flying as she ran at James, hitting and kitty slapping him on every piece of him she could reach. At that moment, Harry walked into the common room. He paused, mid-step, staring at the tangle of James and Hermione.

"Uh … guys? What's … going on?" he said slowly, scared to hear the answer.

Hermione straightened herself up and ran a hand through her hair. "_James_ led a Muggle into the castle," she breathed, pointing at James and talking to Harry as if he was her mother.

"_Hermione_ bit me," said James, standing up and ruffling his hair up.

"_I'm_ not sure what's going on," said Ron, stepping forward as well.

"What?" said Harry in disbelief.

"_James_ led a _bloody_ Muggle into the _bloody_ castle!" screamed Hermione.

"_Hermione_ _bit_ me, _and_ … she … touched my _hair_!" shouted James.

"I _still_ don't know what the bloody hell people are screaming about!" yelled Ron in frustration.

Harry put his hands on Ron's shoulder. "It's OK, Ron. James let a Muggle into the castle and Hermione bit him … because—"

She leaned in to Harry's ear. "Because he didn't tell Dumbledore."

"Because he didn't tell Dumbledore. OK?"

Ron breathed hard and nodded. "Oh … right. That's why … oh. Yeah, OK."

"OK. Now," Harry turned on James. "You."

James stood his ground. A small smile crept onto his face. "Harry," he said deeply, mimicking an adult. "I am your father."

Harry smiled, but didn't laugh, trying hard to see the big picture. Hermione crossed her arms and sat on a chair, but Ron looked at the two of them, confused.

"Muggle movie, Ron. You wouldn't know," mumbled Harry into his ear.

James's smile broadened. "Come on, Harry. We can go tell Dumbledore. She's just sleepin' upstairs."

"She's—she's sleeping," said Harry, laughing to stop from screaming.

He failed.

"She's _just_ sleeping _upstairs_!" he shouted at his father.

"Hey, woah—I'll just go tell him myself. Yeesh. The future … no sense of adventure, mates," he said, clambering out of the common room.

Harry collapsed on one of the chairs as soon as the portrait door closed behind him.

Ron and Hermione moved over to Harry and sat down on the arms of Harry's chair on either side of him.

"What's wrong?" said Hermione, caressing his arm comfortingly.

"I'll … never be his friend, you know? I mean, with Sirius and Lupin, we clicked. _You_ guys even clicked with them, but since he's my dad, you'd think it'd be … more. But I'm just someone he can brag at. I'll never be someone he could _do _stuff with, like … like making the Marauder's Map, you know? It just … I was expecting something else. Something … something more, I guess."

* * *

Just outside the Gryffindor Tower entrance, James Potter stood, stunned with the information he had just overheard.

The wall had let Harry's voice catch James on his way to the Headmaster's office, almost as if it wanted him to hear what had just been said inside the common room.

James, however, was not stupid.

He knew that Harry would not feel so strongly about being friends with him unless there was no way they could be friends during this time in Harry's life. But now, James was stuck thinking about why he and Harry weren't friends. _Maybe Dumbledore will know,_ he thought, and continued walking in the direction of the entrance to his office.

* * *

Please review. Helpful criticism is greatly appreciated. 


	6. arthur's sword

Still in mild shock, Iliana stood before the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. His office was spectacular, filled with things she never imagined possible.

He smiled faintly at her from over his half moon spectacles. "Iliana?"

"Yes, sir," she said, head bowed respectfully.

"You may look at me."

"Yes, sir," she said again, looking up at him, her chin still down.

"What's your full name?"

"I don't have one."

"And what are you doing amongst us?"

"I came here because I thought it was an abandoned haunted house, sir."

"Why did you want an abandoned haunted house?"

"I wanted a place to stay, sir."

"You'll have to fill me in, a little, my dear Iliana."

Her head lifted more and she looked at him. "I lived in an orphanage, and I didn't like it there, so I packed my stuff and ran away, looking for an abandoned house, and I saw lots of signs saying that this was a haunted house, and I don't believe in ghosts, so I came here to live."

Dumbledore sighed. "You have no where else to go, then, I understand?"

She shook her head. "No, sir."

"And who brought you into the castle?"

"James Potter, sir. He told me about your world, sir."

"You understand, Iliana, that you will not be able to stay here indefinitely, as it is a school."

"Yes, sir."

"But, considering the circumstances, you may stay for the time being. Report back to my office in a month, will you? Harry will no doubtedly find a way in," he said with a knowing smile.

* * *

Iliana came down the stairs leading to the girls dormitory, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. It was nearing midnight, but she was hungry.

Sleep and hunger usually followed learning a surprising piece of information. Granted, it had been a couple of days since learning of magic and wizards and the such, but the effects seemed to still be taking place.

"Hello," said a voice from the fire place.

Iliana jumped, mid-yawn. "Oh, James. You scared me."

The boy paused. "I- I'm not James…"

She walked over to him and he stood up. She looked at him closely and clasped her hands over her mouth, laughing shyly. "Oh- Arthur's sword, you're not, are you?"

"'Arthur's sword'?"

"Sorry, an … expression they used where I used to live. Um… if you're not James, which one are you, if you don't mind me asking…?"

"Harry," he said, looking a bit confused. "Harry Potter."

"Potter, then, you must be James's brother. You guys look almost exactly alike. But you're eyes are green. His are hazel, so…"

"Yeah. Yeah, we're brothers."

"You go to school her too then?"

"Yeah. All the other kids here go to school here."

"It's really pretty on the inside. Too bad about the exterior, though."

"Um … yeah," said Harry, not feeling like getting into the whole thing so late in the night.

There was a small pause before Iliana said, "What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask you the same."

"Sorry, just trying to make conversation," she said defensively, leaving towards the exit of the common room.

"I didn't mean it like that," he said, stopping her. "I just- was wondering the same thing."

She looked at him. Her hair was pulled back in a sloppy ponytail, much of her hair not holding, it being cut so short. She was wearing a baggy white silk blouse and pajama bottoms covered in strawberries.

"Where are you going?"

"Kitchen."

"You know where the kitchens are?" asked Harry skeptically. He himself had not found them until his fourth year. She had been here one day.

"Well, no, but I'm not really that tired, so I can spend some time looking."

Harry laughed. "You're a Muggle. You _will_ get lost."

"Muggle?"

"Non-magic people…"

"Oh! Right, yeah. James told me that."

"Do- um, do you want me to show you where the kitchens are?"

Iliana smiled. "Sure."

"Let me just get something really fast." He ran off towards the boys dormitory and came back soon afterwards with something that looked like a watery substance and a piece of old paper. "I don't want you to be scared of this, it's a map," he said, holding up the paper. "It tells us who's in the castle where."

"Why do we need to know that?" she asked, thinking maybe he was just trying to impress her with magic.

"We're not allowed to be wandering the school after curfew."

"Well, what do we do if someone shows up?"

"That's where this comes in." He held up the watery substance. "It's a cloak. It'll make us invisible as long as we wear it."

Iliana smiled. She liked it here.


	7. through the night

It was awkward walking under a cloak with a boy. The closest Iliana had ever been to one was her master at the all-girls orphanage, but he was never very pleasant and smelled of asparagus, and she couldn't help but notice certain strange things, like the way he breathed differently from her and things like that. Harry didn't seem to pay much attention to her sex, however. He didn't go to an all-boys school.

After several moments in silence, Iliana got uncomfortable. Harry was busy looking at his map, which was ingeniously designed, she noticed, but she had nothing else to do but start a conversation.

"So, why didn't I see you here yesterday? Like, meet you or anything."

"Dunno, I had class all day."

"Well, yeah, but you gotta eat sometime. I mean, why didn't I see you at dinner or anything?"

"Timing, I guess. Why? Where were you all of yesterday?"

"I met with Dumbledore in his office and he asked you to bring me back there in a month, by the way. Then I wandered around the grounds for a bit."

"Met Hagrid?"

"Who?"

"I'll introduce you tomorrow."

"OK."

* * *

Finally, below ground level, Harry led Iliana down a corridor decorated with paintings of fruit. He came up to a painted bowl and tickled the pear in the painting. Iliana almost screamed when it giggled and became a doorknob, which he grasped, letting the cloak slip off, and pulled it open. 

Inside, was the grandest kitchen she had ever seen. He helped her through the doorway, and she stood, her mouth open.

The room itself was not breathtaking, but the inhabitants were. Dozens, nearly hundreds, of tiny almost grotesque creatures ran up. They were all dressed in what seemed to be pillow cases, but for one who was covered in as many clothes as he could fit on his body. This one spoke to Harry in a high, squeaky voice, his bulging eyes bordering on watering. He bowed so low that his long, pencil nose almost touched the ground.

"House-elves," whispered Harry in her ear.

"Master Harry Potter Sir!"

"Hey, Dobby," said Harry, apparently used to them all. "This is Iliana." He gestured towards Iliana who smiled tamely.

"Missus Iliana Sir!" They all bowed. It made her uncomfortable, so she sat down, now at least at their eye level.

A small gasp filled the room.

"Hi Dobby," she whispered, her voice barely audible, but his long, floppy ears heard her clearly all the same.

"What can we get Master Harry Potter and Missus Iliana Sirs?"

Harry looked at her, his eyebrows raised, waiting for her to make a request.

"You, uh … wouldn't happen to have an Jammie Dodgers, would you?"

There was a scuffling, one of the elves held up a large biscuit with red jam in the middle and handed it to Dobby, who then gave it to Iliana.

"Thank—" she began, but the biscuits kept coming, until she had no more room in her laden arms. "Thank you," came her muffled response from over the food.

"Would Missus Iliana Sir like something to drink, Sir?"

"Uh … milk would be great, I guess." The container of milk was added to the top of her pile of food in her arms.

"Master Harry Potter Sir?"

"No thanks, Dobby. Tell Winky I said 'Hi', OK?"

"Yes, Master Harry Potter Sir. Of course, Master Harry Potter Sir."

"Bye, Dobby," he said, as he led Iliana out of the kitchens and off towards the common room, the cloak on them once again.

* * *

"Want some Jammie Dodger Biscuits, Harry?" said Iliana, laughing, once they were back in the Gryffindor common room, dumping everything on the table near the fire.

They both collapsed into the armchairs next to the table, grabbing a biscuit.

"So, what grade are you in?"

"Sixth year."

"You wouldn't happen to know the Muggle equivalent of that, would you?"

He paused a moment. "Hang on…" he said. "I think it's … Tenth grade. Tenth or eleventh."

"So you're almost done, then."

"Yeah," he said sadly.

She saw his expression and said, "You really like it here?"

He nodded, looking down at his half eaten biscuit. "I thought I was a Muggle until my eleventh birthday."

"Will you tell me about it?"

"Well, it was midnight, I'm pretty sure, and July 31st. My aunt and uncle are straight up Muggles, and they don't mix with magic—"

Harry and Iliana talked through the night, having a great time. Talking about whatever happened in their lives, and Harry felt that he could open up to her. He hadn't told her about James's real identity or the fact that he was the world's chance for survival, but she was surprisingly easy to talk to.

Iliana rambled on as well. He seemed to be enjoying her stories. After all, she didn't have an ordinary life. No, not an ordinary life at all.

It wasn't before six in the morning, when the first Saturday riser came clambering down the girls staircase. A third year girl Harry didn't know. She ignored the two, but that's when they decided that sleep might be a good idea.

It was the first, and would be the last time Harry slept so soundly all year.

He didn't wake up until noon when Ron shook him awake.


	8. the shrieking shack

Sorry that it took so bloody long to update, but wooing Canadians is no piece of treacle tart, _believe _me. Moony, you know what I'm sayin'... Anyway, this was the easiest chapter to write cuz i knew exactly how it was gonna end... i wasnt too sure about the beginning or end... _any_who. Review replies are at the bottom as usual. And please review, cuz it takes like... _5_ seconds and does wonder for my self-esteem.

* * *

"Hmm… what?" said Harry stretching. It felt weird having _Ron_, of all people, wake you up.

"Your dad. James."

"What about him?"

"He asked Iliana out to the next Hogsmeade visit."

Harry sat bolt upright. "What? But he's supposed to be loyal to Lily! To my mother!"

"Harry, the next Hogsmeade visit is tomorrow."

* * *

James and Iliana had a date for the next Hogsmeade visit and Harry had convinced Ron and Hermione to try to talk James out of it.

"I mean, James, think about it. She's a _Muggle_. You love …" Ron pretended to not remember. " … that, uh … Lily." It was all he could do not to say "Lily Potter" or "Harry's mum", but he somehow managed.

"Who told you that?"

Hermione spoke up. "You did. You told Harry about your crush and he told us, of course."

"Oh. Well, yeah, I love Lily, but this is a different time. I mean, she's being all stubborn and refusing to admit she loves me," he said, mockingly. "But, I'm allowed to take a break from the rejection, aren't I?"

"Do you still love Lily?"

"Of course!"

"Then why are you doing this to Iliana?"

James smiled. "She has a quality, Hermione," he said simply.

After he got up and left, Ron and Hermione looked at each other.

"It's hopeless, isn't it?" asked Ron, despairingly.

"What are you talking about, Ron?" said Hermione, dreamily. "He said she had a quality. It's so romantic."

"Hermione, listen to what you're saying."

"What?"

"It's Harry's dad. She's a _Muggle_."

"Yes, Ron, that's been noted."

"Hermione, have you _seen_ Iliana?"

"Yes …"

"You heard James say so yourself. The first thing he thought when he saw her was that she's hot."

"Ron, you're being stupid. He loves Lily. She's a date. He deserves one after all of the rejection."

Ron backed up defensively. "OK, you're just taking the words right out of his mouth there, young lady."

* * *

Harry was in a sour mood, so naturally, Ron and Hermione were avoiding him. They had failed in getting James dissuaded from taking Iliana to Hogsmeade, so he did the only thing he could do. He followed them in his father's old invisibility cloak.

Nothing really happened the whole afternoon. They traveled from store to store, occasionally stopping to buy something. (James really stocked up at Zonko's.) Everyone had been warned about the Muggle entering the town, and despite the less amount of magical activity, Iliana was still flabbergasted with all the interesting gadgets.

It wasn't until a little after seven o'clock that things got a little more interesting. Draco Malfoy had caught their scent, and was waiting for them when they went to visit the Shrieking Shack.

"Well, well, well," he said, his arms crossed, his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, on either side of him, looking as stupid as logs covered in Stinksap. "A Muggle. In the only all wizarding community in Britain. How ironic."

James frowned.

Iliana leaned in. "Who is he?"

The boy looked very familiar, but James couldn't quite put a name to the face. It was on the tip of his brain.

The blonde boy stepped forward, strutting casually in a very fashionable manner. "I see you've managed to finally hide that hideous scar of yours, then, Potter? Don't want your little Muggle of yours to know who you are? Or are you scared she'll reject you from it's ghastly appearance?"

"What bloody scar are you talking about?"

"Oh," he said, laughing. The two lugs behind him followed suit and stopped on cue when Malfoy held up his hand. "Good cover, Potter." He turned to Iliana. "There are no words to describe your detestability, you filthy Muggle."

"Have you ever heard of Shakespeare, sir?" she said, mocking a polite tone.

"What?" he said, scrunching his nose as if she smelled of eggs.

"He once said something brilliant. Would you like to hear it?" And without waiting for a response, she said, "'Thou venomed swag-bellied skainsmate.' Funny, it seems to be so appropriate, here." She smiled, grabbed James's hand and pulled him away, towards the Shrieking Shack, leaving Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, clueless, with their mouths halfway open.

"That was bloody brilliant!" shouted James, once they had gotten out of hearing shot. "Padfoot would've loved that one."

"Padfoot?"

"Huh? Oh, never mind." He paused and looked at where they were headed. "So, that's the Shrieking Shack."

"I see it."

Night, which had started falling a while ago, was now covering Hogsmeade in a sheet of blackness. "It's … the most haunted house in Britain."

Iliana smiled mischievously. "That's what all the signs leading to Hogwarts said."

"You're not scared of that, then, are you?"

"Well, no. It's not shrieking." This was true. "Aren't _you_ scared?" she asked playfully.

"Of course not." This was true too. James knew the secret of the Shrieking Shack, and knew of course that all the rumours were false, and reinforced by those who knew the truth for reasons unnamed.

"Then what are we waiting for?" She dragged him up to the top of the hill, where the full moon was clearly visible, only just emerging from the pink and purple clouds.

"Wow," she said, breathlessly. "It's so beautiful."

"I don't like it." Iliana looked at him. His alluring face was illuminated by the moon's bright rays.

"What?"

"I don't like it," he repeated, turning to look at her. "It's very …" He inspected the orb again. "… foreboding."

Iliana turned her body towards him and tilted her head questioningly, her hands behind her back. "How?"

"Well, it pretends to have such power and control over the rest of the earth. Tides, time—" James stopped himself before saying the next reason.

Iliana didn't notice anything. She laughed, instead.

"That's not foreboding, James, that's extraordinary."

"Ever heard of werewolves?" he said, peering at her with a triumphant, but solemn smile.

Her smile slowly evanesced. "Well, pretend, James." She focused on the moon once again. "Just for tonight, pretend that you think it's pretty."

"OK," he said after a pause.

She laughed playfully. "Isn't it just the most breathtaking thing you've ever seen?" she giggled.

"Yes."

"Well, James, you have to look at it, to make me believe you."

"I am."

He was starring at her. "The moon," she whispered. "Look at the moon."

He took a small step closer to her and put his hands on either side of her face. "I _am_ looking at the moon. _You_ are my moon. You _are_ breathtaking."

"You're pretending."

James pulled her face towards him and drew her into a strong kiss, his tongue slowly coercing her mouth to open wider. Finally letting her go, he looked down at her. "Was that pretending?"

She looked as if she was about to faint. "Arthur's sword," she murmured. "That's the best pretending I've ever felt."

He kissed her again, her arms wrapped around his lanky middle.

* * *

As if in a dream, Harry walked away, each step draining energy from him. Walking away from a hill where he had seen the silhouette of his father and a Muggle, as if cut out from the moon itself, embracing like two people falling in love.

* * *

Yeah, yeah, it's long. I know i know. Hard to follow, blah blah blha, but some people like that.... and it just looks like it's straight out of a movie...

To my reviewers (who's number may be increased with a simple press of a ... _couple_ of buttons...):

**bobby: **sorry it took so long to update. glad you liked the story so much! it just happened in my head and then my computer appeared before me, so now it's... posted.

**padfoot: **update, mr padfoot. prongs is getting... prongsish....?

**PentagonMerlin: **You too, Moony. You need to update more, and less stargate. And by the way, Jammy Dodger's are like a little taste of heaven. Ahem. they're _brilliant_. And it's fun to imagine sexy beasts like daniel devouring tiny little buscuits with hearts on them covered in milk....................................... tee hee....................... punch and pie.... ( -- ignore.... i like dots.....)

**_REVIEW!!!_**


	9. hospital wing

So I'm sorry that it took so long for me to update, but not that sorry, cuz you all didnt review. HA! It's _you're_ fault. meh heh heh...

right well, if you review, chappies will come faster and it really makes my day. and times are hard now especially since tomorrow is Hallowe'en.

Hallowe'en equals the death date of my alter ego, it'll have been 23 years. 23 long bloody years. sigh

* * *

Summary of what's happened so far: A muggle wanders onto Hogwarts and hooks up with James Potter, who, through a time accident, was sent forwards in time to Hogwarts with Harry and his friends. Harry is scared, cuz he saw that James and Iliana (the Muggle) are hitting it off. What if he falls in love with this other girl and forgets Lily?...

* * *

James and Iliana had already been back at Hogwarts a while before Harry trudged back into the Gryffindor common room. He was dripping wet and covered in mud, carrying the invisibility cloak cradled in his arms. Ron and Hermione both rushed to him. All the other students gave him strange looks, and continued with what they were doing after a few moments.

"Oh my god, Harry, what happened?" asked Hermione, leading Harry to sit in one of the armchairs next to the fire.

"Well," he started off quietly, looking helpless. "I was walking home from Hogsmeade, and I- I wasn't looking where I was going, so I walked into the lake."

Ron and Hermione paused, looking at each other. "OK, Harry?" said Ron.

Harry slowly turned to face him, his eyes unfocused. "Hmm?"

"Harry, didn't you notice that you were walking straight into the water?"

"Well, not until I noticed that I couldn't breath."

* * *

James had been talked into visiting Harry in the Hospital Wing by Ron and Hermione. Harry was laying in his bed, starring at the ceiling. 

"So. _Son_," tried James.

"Hey, James."

There was an awkward pause. "You, uh- you feeling alright?"

"Great."

"Then … why are you up here?"

"Well, Ron and Hermione brought me up here."

"Why?"

"Because. I did something a little weird."

"What did you do?"

Harry turned his gaze from the ceiling and looked at James instead. "I can't tell you," he said simply.

"C'mon, Harry, I'm your dad!"

Harry smiled faintly. "Then why can't I call you that?"

He looked back at the ceiling, and after a few moments, James got up and left him alone in the Hospital Wing.

* * *

"How's he doing?" Iliana asked James when he clambered through the portrait hole. 

"Go see him yourself," he said, then ran off up the staircase to the boys dormitory. Iliana starred wishfully after him, before excusing herself from the conversation she had been having with a few other Gryffindors to go to the Hospital Wing.

"Oh!" said Hermione, approaching her. "You want me to accompany you there? I was going to visit Harry myself."

"Yeah, thanks," smiled Iliana. "Why is he up there, anyway? Do you know?"

Ignoring the slight offense that Iliana thought Hermione wouldn't know why her best friend was in the Hospital Wing, Hermione said, "He walked straight into the lake without knowing what he was doing until he was drowning."

"Arthur's sword! Is he OK?"

"Oh, _physically_ he's fine. It's the mental part that _I'm_ worried about."

Iliana nodded unsurely. A few floors down later, they reached the Hospital Wing and walked over to Harry, who was exactly as James had left him.

"Harry?" whispered Hermione.

"Hey, how are you guys?" he said, in a monotonous tone.

"Harry, what's up?" said Iliana, pulling a chair forwards.

Hermione, determined to show that she cared more, pulled up a chair on the other side of him and said, "Anything you need to talk about, Harry?"

"He's cheating on my mum."

Iliana's eyes widened. "That's disgusting!" she shouted, causing Madame Pomfrey to frown at them.

Both of the other two comically turned their heads in unison to look at her in surprise. "Why?" they chorused.

"He's your _brother_, and he's _cheating_ on your _mother_?"

"What? No!" said Harry, sitting up. "He's not my _brother_!"

"Wh- what?"

"I said, 'He's not my brother'! He's my dad!"

"B- but, he's- he's _your_ age …"

"Yeah. Time spaced out a little. He got transported here."

"Harry, what's happened to you? He's not cheating on Lily. He _can't_ technically, since they're not going out yet," said Hermione. Iliana had been discarded from the conversation.

"Hermione, what if he falls in love with her?"

She gave Iliana a look. "He won't, don't worry."

Iliana looked off into space, breathing hard, controlling herself. "Excuse me—" she began.

"How can you be so sure?" cut off Harry. "I mean, you weren't there, yesterday. He kissed her. You didn't see how he kissed her."

"Hey, you saw—"

"Harry, a kiss doesn't mean anything. He's rewarding himself for putting up with everything your mother's done to him over the past seven years."

Iliana snorted. "Pssh. A kiss doesn't mean anything? You should've felt _that_ kiss," she said. This got Harry's attention back.

"Iliana, he's my dad."

"Yeah?"

"You can't- you wouldn't … _do_ anything, would you?"

The room paused.

* * *

only one thing to say: 

review. i know it seems desperate, but it takes like, five seconds, and it makes some of the pain of Hallowe'en go away. Also, check out my one-shots if you get a chance. But please review, and I'll go and check out your stories. If they're Harry Potter. There are other things I like, but fics of those aren't quite as interesting but!

if you review, ill go check out your stories.

- Eratosthenese


	10. lily lookalike

This chapter is dedicated to **Ghost of Allknowing **cuz they finally got me off my lazy bum and i started updating. cuz.... you'll never get this.... THEY REVIEWED.

* * *

Madame Pomfrey had released Harry from the Hospital Wing, saying that nothing was wrong with him but a small case of depression. He had, after all, gone through a lot of stress over the past year or so. 

So the group were all sitting, doing their homework, with a curious Iliana peering over their shoulders, eager to see what witches and wizards learned in school. James hadn't been seen since he returned from the Hospital Wing. When Ron went looking for him in the dormitory room, he wasn't there, only Dean, Neville and Seamus playing a game of Exploding Snap.

As Ron bounded down the stairs to inform Harry, right on cue, James came crawling through the portrait hole, laughing. No one could see why, but when he turned around to help someone else through the entrance, everyone's jaws dropped.

Being led into the common room was a girl who must have been only a year or two under James. She had long, thick red hair that fell in her face in a manner that painfully reminded Harry of Sirius. The girl was laughing along with James. Harry recognized her to be a fellow Gryffindor in fourth year. He had never paid attention to her, however, and her name was escaping him.

James's attention turned to the rest of the common room, and when he saw Iliana, staring at him from behind Harry's armchair, the laughter was wiped from his face. Seeing her next to his soon-to-be son reminded him of seeing her with _himself_. He mumbled something to the red-headed girl, who went over to a group of fourth years doing their homework on the other end of the common room, and James strutted casually over to her.

"Iliana," he said, with an irresistible confidence in his voice. "Can … you accompany me to the Library?" She looked worried, but went with him. Once they were out of the portrait entrance, he began talking, and Iliana's fears were confirmed. "Have you ever felt—well, I always was—" He sighed, unable to find the right words. "I saw her, and it was like … like a _reminder_, you know?"

"A reminder of what?"

"Of Her! Of my Goddess. Of Lily. She's from where I come from. And I saw this girl and it all came back to me, but she—_she_ accepts me. _She_ doesn't reject me."

Even though she had absolutely no idea what James was talking about, Iliana nodded in understanding. "So—so I guess …"

"Yeah," he said. "Look, I'm really sorry," he said, stopping her and turning her to face him. His expression was genuinely apologetic, but there was something in his eyes that told her that he had done this more than once.

She could feel the tears burning inside her. "I have to go," she said, trying to get the words out of her mouth as quickly as possible. She started walking away from him, and once she had turned a corner, she started running.

Running _away_ from something, running _towards_ something, running nowhere in particular, she didn't know. Just running. She hardly noticed it when she ran straight into the suit of armour against the wall she would have hit instead had it not been there. She simply fell over and curled into a fetal position, crying and screaming.

This reaction was unknown to her. She had known that James had been different. That she felt a pang when he wasn't there, but she didn't know that a pang could be so painful. She hated him, but something inside was aching.

And all in a flash, it came rushing back to her._He was starring at her. "The moon," she whispered. "Look at the moon."_

_He took a small step closer to her and put his hands on either side of her face. "I am looking at the moon. _You_ are my moon. _You_ are breathtaking." _

_"You're pretending."_

_James pulled her face towards him and drew her into a strong kiss, his tongue slowly coercing her mouth to open wider. Finally letting her go, he looked down at her. "Was that pretending?"_

_She looked as if she was about to faint. "Arthur's sword," she murmured. "That's the best pretending I've ever felt."_

_He kissed her again, her arms wrapped around his lanky middle._

That moment.

That moment was all that mattered, but now James was gone, and the moment was just as good as an old memory, discarded at the back of her head along with her kindergarten teacher and her old fish, Jacob.

* * *

James was feeling rather good about himself. He walked down the hall with an extra bounce in his step. He wasn't near the other Marauders, but he was near a girl who looked just like Lily, and she was dating him. 

And he knew, to top it all off, that he went back to his own time in the end.

Nothing could get him down.

Back in the common room, he met up with the Lily look-alike and took her off on a tour of the castle – maybe the Room of Requirement he, Sirius, Remus and Peter had just discovered the year before – unaware that Harry, Ron and Hermione were watching his back, curiously as he left.

* * *

Seeing them together, Harry suddenly realized why James was drawn to her. The fourth year Gryffindor girl looked nearly _exactly_ like Lily Evans, Harry's mother. And that was wrong. James loved Lily, but what if he fell in love with this… this other girl? He could already start to feel his skin prickle, as if he was disappearing, as if history was already rewriting itself. 

Turning back to Ron and Hermione, he said, "What happened to the Muggle girl?"

"Dunno," said Ron, turning back to his homework, uninterested. "Probably got murdered by Malfoy or something."

"Ron, we just saw her. She's still alive and still in Hogwarts," said Hermione, looking something up in her Arithmancy textbook.

"Harry," said Ron, watching his best friend stare avidly into the dying flames of the Gryffindor common room. "Harry, are you alright?"

"I can't let him date her."

Hermione looked up. "She's just a date. Nothing happened between you and Cho … _that_ was just a date."

Harry's head snapped in Hermione's direction. "Hermione, that has nothing to do with it. I—I need to stop him…" he finished resolutely. Dumping the homework he had been working on onto the table between their three armchairs, Harry got up and crawled out of the portrait hole.

He had to find Iliana.

* * *

ok.......... crappy crappy crappy crappy chapter. i know. i had to write something. im suffering from a block and all ive been able to pop out lately are one shots. _not_ my fault. 

ok, a _little _my fault.

ok, so it's my fault. but thats not fair cuz YOURE NOT REVIEWING.

ahem.

review.

thank you


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